Ore concentrator



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. A. KENT.

n ORB GONGBNTRATOR. No. 280,984. Patented July l0, 1883.

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VUNITED STATES VParitair tric.;

ARTEMAS A; KENT,OF DENVER, COLORADO.

O RE-CO'NCENTRATOR.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,934, dated July 10, 1883.

Application filed December 1l, 1882. (No'model.)

To a/ZZ' whomit may concern:

Be it known that l, A12-TEMAS A. KENT, of the city of Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore- Concentratcrs, of which the following is aspecifcation.

In washing pulp containing ores of gold or silver7 I employ a series of separate and distinct ore receivers or sluices'closed on their sides, arranged transversely upon a suitable inclined support or way having a transverse oscillating motion, upon which they are adapted to be moved upward past the feeding-point, and in such movement to allow the surplus matter of water and gangue, by reason of` the travel of said receivers up said inclined way, to pass down from one receiver to another placed upon or entering 'the inclined way in succession at the lower end of the series, leaving the particles of gold or silver to be carried up in the receivers and removed therefrom in any suitable manner at the upper end of the inclined way. The pulp is subjected by this means to a repeating operation in separate and distinct parcels of such quantity in each' parcel as can be treated to the best advantage to separate and concentrate the metallic particles within the separate receivers as they travel upward on the incline under a downward iiow of the water, each receiver delivering the settlings at the upper end of their travel and the water at the pointof commencing their upward travel. This construction allows the gangue matter and lighter pulp to' be worked oii' continuously into separate and distinct communicating receivers moving at different levels, each retaining and carrying upward from the lowest to the highest or discharging point whatever of value may escape from the one abovevinto the one below. The distinguishing feature of such operation is that the concentrated particles of ore are retained in the separate and distinct series of moving receivers or' sluices and delivered at a point y opposite to the direction of the iiow of the washing and separating medium; nor is it material by what means the pulp receivers or sluices are moved up the inclined way in effecting this washing and concentrating operation.

The accompanying drawings represent my improved ore washer and concentrator, which way, showing the means by which the receiv' er, whichis highest in the series, is held in proper relation as to .pitch with the others below vit until in its travel it is in position to discharge its contents. Fig. 3 represents one form of receiver with its sides closed and connected with a link of an endless revolving chain, to which the series may be secured, and by which they may be carried over the inclined way. Fig. 4 represents a vertical longitudinal section, showing the receivers adapted to he moved up the inclined way in separate non-connected relation insteadof in joint-conw nected series, the operation being the same in both constructions and the results produced identical. Fig. 5 represents a vertical longitudinal vsection of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, illustrating the position of reel E when it is depressed to its lowest point, its shaft being in the lowest part of the slots c, and its highest point of connection with the endless chain is against the fixed arm S, by which the depression ofthe yreel is effected. Fig. 6 represents in cross-section three of the non-coni port that the higher will discharge their surplus matter of water and gangue into the next one below throughout the series, retaining in each such metal particles as settle therein,

A tramway or support, B, of any suitable construction to form a rigidly-connected ,frame or carriage, is suspended by hangers b I) in an inclined position longitudinally to a suitablyconstructed main frame, A. The hangers b are pivoted to the upper cross-beams of said main frame and to the opposite sides of the inclined tramway, near its upper and its lower ends, as shown in Figs. l, 4, and 5. This IOO tramway or support is formed with vertical 'I charge the contents, as in Figs. 2.and 5. But

sides m', ybetween which the endsof the receivers moveup upon the inclines m, and these sides fm proj ect only enough -to 'form such guides. l shown as being closed-on their sides and connecte'd so as to have an endlesstraveling movement over reels or heads, while' in Fig." 3,' I have shown one of the receivers of the same constructionas in Figs. l and 5, as being connected to a link of achain composed of crossjoint rods J` and hinges j, to which the receivers are separately secured,` so as to be car ried side by side upon and over the inclined support B, with the end sof the hinge-rods J' or the ends of the connected receivers resting upon the ways m. It is not essential, however, that the receivers be connected to and operated as an endless chain, because they may be placed separately and continuously by hand upon the lower end of the inclined support and moved upward thereon by any suitable means, either continuously or at intervals, without affecting or modifying their operation in washing and concentrating the ore; nor does the form of the receiver make any material matter, so long as they are closed on their sides, arranged side by side, and-made so that one communicates by an overow with the onenext below it in the series. Both forms of the receivers are shown in Figs. land 5; and while I have described them as having closed sides, I prefer to make the bottom inclined, extending from the highest closed side and terminating on a level with* the apron 7c at the 'overflow side, Yas shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. TheI inclined bottom may be of wire-gauze, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 g or it may be imperforate, as shown in Fig.b 3, and in either case the deepest part of the receiver collects the metal particles. Whenused in the endless-chain form, saidchain is mounted upo'nisuitable reels or heads, E E', at its upper and lower ends, the shafts of which are journaled in some part of the inclined sup'- port. These reels or heads are adapted to conduct the ore-receivers around the ends of the'inclined support, and are for this purpose notched ina manner to engage the rods J of the endless chain. i

The ore receiyers form settling troughs, closed at their sides, each being provided with a projecting lip or apron, k, arranged to overlap the upper side of the'next adjoining rcceive'r below, by which toconduct the surplus contentsof one receiver into the next vone below it in theinclined series.

"The receiver vmay be made witha at bottom with'the overflow lip or apron' k, as in Fig. 3, or with an` inclined bottomV and an overrflowlip or apron, as in Figs. 5,6, and 7. When the receivers are operated in the endles'sschain form provision' is madel for holding the rei I ceivers aslthey reach the upper or discharging point inthe vsarne relative position as'to pitch as the others 'below it until the -vmoment each receiver is brought to the point at which it i's quickly turned into a' vertical lposition to Idis- In Figs. ljand 'these receivers are' for this provision the receiver would commence t0 -tilt before reaching the proper point, and wouldl thereby occasionloss ofthe metal. This proper dumping of the'receivers is effected as follows, viz: The journal-bearings at each'end of the'reel F/ are slotted at o, and a guide, S, is rigidly attached to the inclined support B on each side above the reels. nals yare supported upon springs c, which exert a lifting action up on the reels, which are thereby held up' firmly. against the under sides of the guides S, and may be depressed by reason of their journals passingthrough the slots o' in the inclined support, as stated. Aratchet, P,

(shown in Fig.v 2,) is Vfastened uponthe end of the reel' E,and a pawl, p, pivoted to a lever, R, is adapted to engage with said ratchet, the said lever being loosely tted upon they end of The reel-j ourthe reel-j ournal outside of the ratchet. As the y l lever R is depressed by hand, the vpawl p, en-k gaging with the ratchet, turns the'reel E', which, being` engaged` with thel endless chain of the receivers, moves them upfthe inclined support. Nowy as the rigid guide S will not allow the upper side -of the reel E as `it is turned to rise above the line of -the inclined support I3, the reel must therefore be forced downward sufficiently to allow it to lfollow unf der the guides S, and `in this way hold the receiver in passing toa dumping position in the same position as to pitch that fit had when resting upon the inclined support.A In this action it will be seen that the receiver leaves the inclined support in passing upon the reelheads at the dumping end of the inclined support. The object of this construction is therefore to hold the receiver improper position while passing outI and over'the reel ends-to dischargethe contents which may have settled therein. A

The sidewise oscillating movement of the inclined support is effected as'follows, viz: A rock-shaft, F, is mounted in bearings in the cross-'beams of thefranefA, and is connected by a ldepending arm, f', at 'each end, to the hangers I) by alink-jointneartheir lower ends. A lever, f, is firmly secured to the rock-shaft F, and has its lower end connected by a pitmanrod, Vto a'crank, y, ofthe shaft G, havingv the driving-pulley-g.' This construction IOO IIO

IIS

gives the advantage Vof equalizing the transverse oscillating'- motion of the inclined support by reason of connecting the depending arm f to the rock-shaft'Fin the middle of its length, and connecting said rock-shaft by depending arms to the hangers' b. This movement ofthe inclined support causes it to strike against bumpers a a, placed uponv the standers areshort rods, mountedy in brackets vand] up4 and discharged with the water into a v esprovided with coil-springs, as shown, soas to yield when struck andforce the inclined support to one side in unison with the movement of the crank.V

The receivers maybeused in non-connectedA relation-that is, they maybe placed .by hand Y upon the lower' end of an inclined support and moved upward in succession by a pushlever, O, and therebydislodge Ithe uppermost one in succession, to be removed by handL This construction is shown inFig. 4,- which is intended to illustrate how the disconnected receivers D may be moved .up the inclined `sup port, rcceivethe pulp and water, and deliver l the washed and concentrated metallic particles at Vthe upper end of the inclinel support andV at a point above that at which the water escapes. In this function the receivers are identical, whether connected or disconnected. In operating with the disconnected receivers 4in this way, I provide a spring-stop, N, to preventthe receivers from sliding downcthe ineline; and it will be understood that the pulp` is fed into the receivers, and as they are moved upward in series the uppermost one is disv lodged, as at L, Fig. 4. The push-lever is pivoted to some fixedpart of the frame at O', and the inclined support B is held against the action of the push-lever bymeans of .rods O2,

pivoted to the frame A and tothe under side of the inclined support, sothat when the re-V y ceiver is placed upon the ways m m of said support against thelowest one of thel series of receivers, the lever is pushed forward against the lowest receiver, and thereby pushes the series upward upon the inclined support, so

Vthat thel spring-catch N catches against th'e lowest side of the end receiver, and thus holds the series in position to .be intermittently` moved upward. The spring-catch is shown in Fig. 4 as attached to the under side of the way m, and it will .be understood that a similar spring-catch is secured to each way, so as to hold the receivers at bothends in proper relation. In this construction a side stroke is given to the receivers by the same means as that shown in Fig. l.

The ore should be fed into the second or third receiver from the uppermost one by a suitable conduit or feeder placed atU in Fig. 5 below the point at which the water from the v .pipe NV is supplied lto the receivers .by the Branch pipes w may be arbranch pipe w. ranged to project one or more streams of water into the receiver as it is turned in the po- `sition to dump its contents, as shown in Figs.

l, 2, and 5. As the pulp is movedupward past the feedingpoint thesurplus water flows downward, carrying with it a portion of the` pulp, so that each receiver of the moving series is filled with water, and as they move upward past the feeding-point they receive a fresh supplyof water. This washes out the lighter and gangue parts of the pulp, yleaving in each receiver whateverof the metallic sub-4 stance may settle into the bottom to be carried sel, for subsequent treatment in a smelter. Each receiver is supplied with a cert-ain amount of ore and treats it by itself, retaining ythemetallic particles which settle therein, leaving the surplus water to have a gentle flow from one into the other to carry off the earthy matters by a repeating process,r and thereby producea very. effective washing, separating, and concentrating operation upon theV pulp, saving whatever metal may be in it.

VIt is the inclined .relation of the receivers that produces the repeating overflow for the surplus water, and it is the employment of receivers closed on its sides that effects the concentration of the metal under such repeating l washing-flow, substantially as described, for

the purpose specified.

2. The combination of 'a series of separate ore-pulp receivers or sluices having closed sides arranged side by side and suitable con-` duits for feeding the pulp and water thereto, with a suitable inclined way orsupport for said receivers, and means, substantially such g as described, for moving the said'receivers upward upon an inclined ysupport todeliver their contents above and .free of the descending washing-now, and suitable means for suspending and imparting a sidewise movement tothe said inclined support, substantially as t described.

3. In amachine for washing and coucou- A Yinclined support, whereby the washing-over-V iiow is .in a downward direction over the series of receivers, and the metallic particles are carried upward in acontrary directiouwithin the series of receivers, substantially as described. Y 4. The combination oi'a series of separat-corepulp receivers or sluices having closed sides arranged side Aby side and forming Yan endless carrier, suitableI reels or heads, and, suitable means Yfor impartinga 'progressive upwardlyf inclined motion vto the receivers, an inclined v support, and suitable means for feeding ythe 4 Y esogem ore-pulp and water to said receivers, withfl pulp receivers Vhaving 'closed-sides,an up- J. C. FLINN.

means, substantially such as described, wherewardly-inclined supporting-waytherefor, and 2 5 by the receiver highest in the moving series suitable'means'for. feeding the lorepulpand lis caused to'maintain the same inclined posiwater to said receivers, and means for moving 5 tion as those below it in passing over the 'reel them upward upon said incline, with'the hangto discharge the contents. ers b'b, the rock-shaft E, itsv dependiiigarms 5. Thecombination, in a machine for washff f', the crank-shaft G,the'bun1pers a ,and 3o ing and concentrating ore, the series of receivthe springs z' i, `all constructed and 'arranged ers or sluices having closed sides, 4forming an for operation substantially as described, for 1o endless carrier, and suitable means for imthe purpose specified. v 4

parting a progressive upwardly-inclined mo'- 7.. Ina machine for washing Aand concention thereto, an inclined support, suitable trating ore, the-combination o f a seriesofre- 3 5 means for feeding the ore-pulp and water to ceivers closedon their sides,-a`rranged side by said receivers, the slotted bearings c, the carside, each Iprovided .with an'overiiowdip at its 15 rier reel-heads E', the guides S, having afixed lowest side, yextending-over 'the vhighest side relation to said inclined support over said reelof the receiver next belowfan inclined way, heads, the 'springs c, arranged to exert an upand means for imparting a progressive up- 4o ward force upon the journals of said reelwardly-inclined motion to said receivers, as heads, the ratchet P, pawl p, and the lever R, shown, and for the purpose specified.

2o all constructed and adapted for operation subl, Y ARTEMAS A. KENT.

stantially as described, for the purpose specif Witnesses: fied. l JOHN D. BLACKWELL,

` 6. The combination, with the series of ore- 

